


Seven Times We Said Goodbye

by Tadd_the_Turtle



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Amity Blight Angst, Amity Blight is in the Emperor's Coven, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Disaster Luz Noceda, Break Up, F/F, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, Luz Noceda Angst, Luz Noceda Needs a Hug, Luz Noceda is leading a rebellion, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 07:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30119475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tadd_the_Turtle/pseuds/Tadd_the_Turtle
Summary: Seven times Luz and Amity said goodbye, and one time they didn’t have to.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	1. Can I Come In?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity is stuck in bed and Luz is stuck in a bad situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter: Out of Love by Alessia Cara

Over the course of Amity's life she had to learn there were things that she could and couldn't control. For instance, she could control her grades, she could control her abomination, and though it wasn't always easy, she could control her temper if she really wanted to. The things she couldn't control, of course, heavily outweighed the things she could. Amity could not control when it rained, could not control the tides, could not control when the sun would set. 

Still, she figured all of those would be much easier to attempt than trying to control her siblings. 

"Ed stop tapping your foot, it's moving the whole bed!" Emira complained, reaching over Amity to smack her brother on the shoulder. 

"I'm nervous ok!" Edric retorted back, dodging the blow but never taking his eyes away from the screen sitting in front of the Blights. 

Why they had insisted on crowding into Amity's room was a mystery to her. There were plenty of Oracle balls in the house which meant they definitely didn't need to be using her's. Their parents weren't even home, having left for the Conformitorium ages ago, so it's not like they had to worry about curfew or media privileges. 

"You're still tapping," Emira pointed out. 

"And you're still a pain in my-"

"Will you both be quiet?" Amity hissed. "Some of us are trying to listen to what's going on here."

No, her siblings had nothing to worry about but Amity did. And perhaps she wasn't as annoyed as she let on when the twins climbed into either side of her bed, squishing her in the middle as they watched the breaking news. Maybe, though Amity would never admit, she actually preferred to have some company during all this, rather than have to watch it alone. 

Perhaps her siblings had known this too. 

"It's starting," Amity said grimly, though she didn't need to point it out for the twins to notice. The cage holding the Owl Lady had risen a few minutes ago and now it seemed the petrification was about to commence. 

It didn't help Amity's confidence that not only was the Owl Lady in the cell, but also Lilith and that small demon that Luz was so fond of. 

_Luz_. The human girl who had come into Amity's life so unexpectedly, and yet Amity could hardly imagine a time when she wasn't there, popping up around school, reading silly books with her, flashing the cutest smiles that always made Amity's heart flutter and-

"You doing alright there Mittens?" Emira teased, trying to find something to distract herself from the screen. "You're all red."

"Maybe because you two are suffocating me," Amity groaned, trying to shove the two off her bed to no avail. If anything it just made them squeeze in tighter, though they were at least mindful of her bad leg, which they ensured not to touch. 

The banter soon quieted again as their attention returned to the screen. The petrification statue was done warming up and a beam of energy shot at the cage. Amity squeezed her eyes shut as she saw the Owl Lady dive in front of it, not eager to watch all of this play out. 

Not to mention, Amity could've help but feel guilty that she was more concerned about Luz than anyone else. Where was the human? Surely she would be trying to stop her mentor from being petrified. Amity's anxiety only grew as she saw Willow and Gus begin to rally support in the crowds. Shouldn't Luz be right there with them?

Something hadn't happened to her, had it? Amity cursed the girl for not having a scroll. How would she know Luz was okay? She had to be okay, right?

Eyes still closed, Amity tensed as she felt a hand on her shoulder and she peaked one eye open to see Emira had placed it. Her sister wasn't looking at her, instead focused on the screen in shock, tears forming in her eyes but not spilling. It made Amity wondered who the hand was supposed to be comforting. Glancing at Edric, she saw his usual bright facade had fallen, replaced by a somber stare, just as intently focused as the others. 

Amity looked back at the screen. 

The petrification was almost halfway done. Amity had read up on the concept before in her Magic History classes but she never realized how long the process would take. She could only imagine how agonizing that must be. Is Luz watching this too? Amity hoped she wasn't for the young girls sake. Her and the owl lady were so close. No one should have to watch someone they care about suffer like this. 

As it would turn out, Amity was right. Luz hadn't been watching what was going on because somehow, to the Blights' amazement, a figure rose through the floor with a staff in hand and cloak billowing behind her. 

Both twins began at the same time, "Is that-" 

"Luz?!" Amity finished, almost jumping out of her seat had she not been properly smushed in between her siblings. 

"Woah careful there Mittens, watch the leg," Edric started to lecture her but a harsh glare shut him up. 

Amity stared at the oracle ball in complete terror, not understanding how Luz had gotten where she was or what the girl could possibly do. 

Utter chaos broke out as Luz sent a plant spell at the statue, ripping it straight from its pedestal and halting the petrification. Amity sat shell shocked as she watched Luz jump on the Owl Lady's back and fly off into the night with Lilith and King in tow. The Emperor came out soon after, threatening the public before retreating back to the castle. 

"What...what in the name of titan just happened?" Edric squeaked out. 

"Amity did you know she could do that?" Emira laughed to hide her own shock. "Why didn't you tell us she could do that?"

"Obviously I didn't know she could do that," Amity mumbled, not paying much attention to either sibling. Her mind was racing far too fast to keep up with their conversation. 

_Is Luz going to be ok? How did she do that powerful magic? Was that the Owl Lady's staff? Why is my face heating up every time they replay that clip of Luz? Why must the twins make fun of me every time my face heats up because they're replaying that clip of Luz?_

"Mittens you really know how to pick 'em," Emira teased, not helping Amity's blush at all.

"Please stop talking," Amity grumbled. Where was Luz now? When would she see her again?

"Yeah Emira back off," Edric pushed his twin away from Amity before ruffling his little sister's hair. "Can't you see she's having a moment."

"It's just showing replays now," Amity shoved him away from her. "Can't you two leave?"

"But what if something interesting happens?" Edric whined. 

"Something more interesting than a human destroying an ancient petrification machine and making the Emperor look like he can't handle a fourteen year old?" Emira snorted. "Amity's right. I think the fun stuff is over."

"I'm sorry can you say that one more time," Amity raised an eyebrow. 

Emira shot her a confused look before slowly repeating, "Something more interesting than-"

"No," Amity rolled her eyes. "Just the 'Amity's right' part. I want to record it on my scroll and make it my new ringtone."

"Whatever," Emira stood up from the bed, stretching as she did. "Come on Ed."

Complaining as he left, the twins departed Amity's room, leaving the girl to herself. This of course is what she had asked for but now that she didn't have the incessant ramblings of her siblings to distract her, Amity was brought back to bleak reality. 

Luz defied the Emperor. She helped the Owl Lady escape. How she even was able to do that was beyond Amity's comprehension but the undeniable truth was that Luz had been in danger all night and Amity had been sitting here, in her bed, doing nothing. 

Part of her knew she shouldn't blame herself so harshly but staring at her cast Amity couldn't help but feel useless. From the second she heard about the Owl Lady, she wanted nothing more than to race out of Blight Manor and help Luz, who she never doubted would put up a fight. 

And that's what she loved about Luz the most wasn't it? She never hesitated to stand up for what she believed in. Memories of the night Luz offered to take Amity's place as Grom Queen fluttered through her mind and the witch smiled. Luz had to be just about one of the bravest people Amity knew. 

_So why would Luz do such a cowardly thing?_ Amity would ask herself this in anger the very next morning, but she didn't know it yet. 

Only a few hours had passed since the twins left and Amity had spent the whole time stuck in her own head. So preoccupied she was, that she almost didn't hear the tapping at her window. It was a familiar rhythm: a code that her and Luz had made for each other for entering the library, a way of warning the other when one was going to enter Amity's (no— _their_ ) secret hideout. 

Perking up at the sound, Amity almost felt as though her heart would beat out of her chest. She watched as Luz, carefully sitting on a staff, waited patiently outside her window with that signature grin of her's. 

_Can I come in?_ She mouthed. 

Amity nodded immediately, too overwhelmed with relief at seeing Luz was alright to care about anything else. Her room was a mess, she was in her pajamas, and surely the twins would hear them if she entered but that all paled in significance. 

"Luz!" Amity surprised herself as tears welled up in her eyes. "What are you doing here? I-I was so worried and-" 

"Woah, hey," Once Luz had climbed through the window, she rushed to Amity's side, taking the girl's hand into her's. "It's alright. I'm okay."

"You better be," Amity pulled Luz into an embrace which the other girl easily melted into. 

After a while, Amity pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. Luz waited for her to collect herself, sitting on the side of the bed and looking around the room distractedly. She hadn't let go of Amity's hand. 

"So you saw all that?" Luz finally broke the silence, gaze hovering over the Oracle ball for a moment before turning back to Amity. "Guess I gave you a scare then?" 

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" 

"Oh trust me," Luz let out a nervous laugh. "You don't even know the half of it." Seeing Amity's worried look, Luz quickly corrected herself. "I'm fine now though! Really. Besides, did you ever really doubt me?"

"Yes," Amity deadpanned. "I did." 

"Ouch," Luz placed a hand to her chest jokingly. "That's harsh, even coming from you Blight."

"I was just worried. I-If you got hurt-" Amity started but Luz squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

"I didn't," Luz said, but there was a way she said it, a small hesitation behind the words that made Amity reluctant to believe her. "Emperor Belos can't get rid of me that easily. I mean, with the portal destroyed he can't actually get rid of me at all I guess." At that Amity saw something change, if only for a moment, in Luz's expression. There was something so sad behind her eyes, something that Amity had never seen from the girl before. 

"What happened?" Amity asked quietly. 

Luz looked at her then looked down at her lap as though ashamed of herself. "In order to keep my world safe, I had to destroy the portal. It was the only way to keep the Emperor trapped in the Boiling Isles."

"But in doing so..." Amity realized, "You're trapped here too."

Luz took in a shaky breath before looking back up at Amity. She was smiling at her but it looked forced. "It was the right thing to do. Right? B-Besides, I like it here better. What does the human world have to offer me except boring summer camps and bullies and...and my mom..." Luz's smile wavered and she got a faraway look in her eyes. "She...she doesn't even know where I am."

Amity's ears lowered as she realized just how much Luz had lost that night. This time Amity pulled the girl in for another hug. Luz held her tighter than the last one, almost desperately, burying her head in Amity's shoulder. If it weren't for the pain Amity felt for Luz, she probably would be panicking over all of this physical contact but right now that could wait. Luz needed her as friend, not a bumbling fool. Still, she couldn't help her face heating up just the slightest. 

"I'm sorry," Luz muttered into Amity's shoulder and the shake in her voice made it clear she was crying. "I didn't come here to talk about that but I...I..."

"It's okay Luz," Amity said, rubbing the girl's back. "You've had a long day."

Sniffling, Luz pulled back so she could see Amity's face again. Even so, for some reason Luz couldn't seem to meet Amity's eyes. "I feel like it just keeps getting longer."

Luz wiped the tears from her eyes as she attempted to calm herself down. As she did, Amity couldn't fight the feeling there was still something Luz was holding back. There was more. 

_If she didn't come to talk to her about the portal, then what was she here for?_

Amity knew she was probably overthinking all of this, just like she's overthought everything she's ever done in her entire life, but she couldn't shake that there was more bad news yet to come. Maybe Luz sensed it too because she grabbed Amity's other hand and held them both for a moment, tight just like the hug. The way she had done it, Amity thought for a fleeting moment that Luz didn't want to let go for some reason. 

And then it hit her. 

"You're saying goodbye," Amity said hollowly. 

Luz's eyes widened in shock as she fumbled for something to say but now it seemed so painfully obvious to Amity. "This isn't- I mean- it's not a forever goodbye but-"

"But you're still saying goodbye," Amity pulled her hands out of Luz's grasp. "Why?"

Luz stared at her for a long time, her hands sitting in her lap unclear what to do with themselves now that they were empty. Finally her thoughts seemed to catch up with her and she took a deep breath. "I can't stay here Amity."

"Stay where?" Amity didn't understand. "The Boiling Isles? But I thought you said-"

"Not like that," Luz tried to explain. "I'm not actually leaving. I just need to...to disappear. Not forever. Just for now."

"Disappear," Amity repeated in disbelief. 

"I don't want to but-"

"Then don't!" Amity realized she sounded much more desperate than Luz was probably expecting because the latter froze under Amity's pleading gaze. 

Once the spell of shock wore off, Luz's shoulders sank and she looked down at her hands again. "I don't have a choice. If you thought the hunt for Eda was bad-" (actually, Amity had never really paid that whole ordeal much thought at all before today, but that hardly seemed important right now) "-wait until you see what the Emperor has planned for me."

The look of terror in Luz's eyes portrayed the message to Amity clear enough. 

"I talked it over with Eda and Lilith, and they agree. The Emperor isn't going to stop until he's captured me. He needs me for something." Luz tried again, holding out a hand for Amity who hesitantly took it. She took Amity's hand in between both of her's and held it to her chest, looking at Amity with such sorrow. "It's not safe for me here. If I'm around, I'm only going to put people in danger."

"Don't you think those people should get a say?" Amity asked, voice cracking. 

"What do you want me to do Ames?" Luz shook her head in frustration, voice rising for the first time that night as she fought back more tears. "I have to go into hiding and I have to do this on my own. I would never ask you to leave everything behind for me."

_But if you did ask, you know what my answer would be._

Luz let go of Amity's hands, sliding off of the bed and to her feet. She summoned the staff to her side, looking at Amity as if it was the last time she'd ever get to do it. 

"If there was any other way-"

"I know." Amity sat in her bed with arms crossed, refusing to look at Luz. 

She didn't see how Luz's gaze lingered on her for just one more moment before turning back to the window. Throwing her hood on and jumping on the staff, Luz didn't look back as she said the two words that would break her bedridden friend's heart. 

"Goodbye, Amity."

"Goodbye Luz."

Silence filled the room leaving Amity feeling empty, heavy. She sat in her bed, long after the window latched shut, long after the lights in Blight Manor turned off, and long after her tears had finally dried. 

Over the course of Amity's life she had to learn there were things that she could and couldn't control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out my first TOH story, please leave a comment or a like!


	2. Choosing Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz sees some old friends and new enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Wish I Knew You by The Revivalists

It wasn't unusual for Luz to wake up to the sound of shouting. On a good day, it was the shouting of King and Eda arguing over breakfast. On a bad day it was Eda and Lilith trying not to rip the other's throats out (because despite their reconciliation, they still had some differences to sort out). On the worst days, it was because the Emperor's coven had found them and they were on the move again. 

It wasn't unusual for Luz to wake up running. 

It's what her life had become in the three years since she'd defied the Emperor and saved her mentor from certain death. Three long years of living on the run, of isolating herself from everyone except a select few. Three years of the Boiling Isles. Three years without her mom. 

It wasn't unusual for Luz to wake up to the sound of shouting. Today, luckily, was a good day. 

"We don't have time for that King," Eda grumbled. "Stop asking me!"

Luz sat up from where she'd passed out on the couch, wiping the sleep from her eyes and peaking into the kitchen. King was standing on a stool, arguing with Eda over...something. Eda wasn't paying him much attention, busy making some eggs. 

As Luz stood, she noted how sore she was. Yesterday had been exhausting. She had spent all morning practicing her magic with Lilith who could be a ruthless teacher at times. The woman always insisted Luz must perfect her magic since she's the only one who can properly do it now. It's not that Eda and Lilith hadn't picked up any glyph skills from her, but Luz seemed to have a stronger connection with them than the two.

"Oh look, Luz is awake," Eda waved King away. "Why don't you go bother her?"

'Awake' wasn't maybe the best word for it. Luz's brain definitely hadn't caught up to her body yet. This, of course, wasn't stopping King. 

"Tell Eda that she must obey me!" King pulled at Luz's hoodie, having to jump up to do so seeing as the girl had grown much taller in her time on the Isles. 

"And what exactly do you want from Eda?" Luz asked, picking King up into her arms and joining her mentor in the kitchen. 

"Pancakes!" King shouted. "I need sustenance for today's battle to certain death!"

"Stop being so dramatic, no one is fighting to the death," Eda rolled her eyes. "Today is supposed to be a _secret_ mission. No fighting. And no pancakes."

"Hoot! _I_ want pancakes!" Hooty stuck his head into the kitchen, smiling expectantly at Eda. The woman turned to Luz looking for any form of support. 

Luz just shrugged. "Pancakes do sound good."

With a loud exaggerated groan, Eda stepped away from the eggs and began collecting some other ingredients. "Fine. But you have to flip them."

"Deal," Luz grinned. 

"Can I get mine with razzleberries, hoot?"

"No Hooty," Everyone in the kitchen said at the same time. 

Luz watched as the owl tube retreated back to his door, squawking insults to himself as he left. She knows how often Eda had mentioned ditching him on one of their runs but of course she never meant it. 

It was Luz's idea on how they could properly go into hiding while keeping the Owl House. Inspired by her horrible and probably traumatic experience at the circus, she'd worked with the Clawthorne sisters on creating a spell that would allow them to transport the house wherever they went. All it took was a simple shrinking spell and the Owl House could be put in any one of their cloak pockets. Essentially, it's what helped them all disappear off the face of the earth. 

Well, not earth exactly. 

Luz hummed to herself as she poured the batter Eda made onto the pan in front of her. To avoid her mind from wandering too much, she tried to focus on this one little task. Honestly, she wasn't entirely prepared for the day's planned events. 

Sure, they'd been talking about this forever. It's something Luz had been adamant about from the start, even though Eda and Lilith weren't exactly thrilled. 

But Luz's friends needed her today. She'd let them down a lot these past years and she didn't want this to be another one of those moments. 

_But can I really call them friends? After being away for so long?_

Luz flipped a pancake a little too soon, watching it twirl in the air before landing roughly back on the pan, splattering batter as she did. 

Her hands covered in uncooked pancake goo, Luz wiped it away with a rag. For a moment, she remembered another time in her life when she had been covered in goo, only this one was purple and sticky and reminded her all too much of...

Letting out a sigh, Luz turned back to the pancakes. 

She knows she should've told Willow what she was planning today. Gus too. There were plenty of times she could've mentioned it in her letters to them. Admittedly, as time passed those letters had gotten more and more infrequent. Owlbert was their main means of delivering them and with the Emperor's coven always on their backs, Luz could only do so much without risking the poor palisman. One time there had been a close call, and the wayward runaways hardly rescued the owl without getting captured themselves. Luz didn't send anything for months after that before she could trust herself again. 

Still, she had kept relatively good contact with her two old friends. There was only so much the three could cover in their letters but that didn't mean Luz didn't remember every detail: Willow's new haircut, Gus's perfect score on his illusion essay, Willow opening a community garden by her house and Gus's tyrant reign on the Human Appreciation Society. She kept every note, every photo, anything she could to remind herself that she wasn't as alone as she felt — because, despite her found family, it got lonely sometimes. 

"You're burning them."

Luz jumped at Lilith's voice, looking down at her pan to see she was indeed burning the pancake in front of her. 

"Mierda," Luz said under her breath, moving it onto a plate. "This one can be mine."

Lilith nodded disapprovingly, sliding into one of the chairs at the table and immediately putting her head in her hands to block out the light. 

"Good morning to you too Lilith," Eda chuckled. Neither sister was much for mornings. It was a miracle Eda was even up at all if Luz really thought about it. 

After some time, Luz had made enough pancakes to go around and piled some of Eda's eggs onto her own plate. Sitting down she immediately began stuffing her face. That's another thing she'd made a habit of. They never knew when a not-so-friendly interruption would take place, which meant they had to eat while they had the luxury to enjoy it hot. 

"You excited kiddo?" Eda asked, picking at her teeth with her extended finger. 

"Yeah," Luz nodded, trying to play off her anxieties the best she could. "No, yeah, 'f course."

"Why wouldn't she be excited," Lilith complained. "It's all she's been talking about this whole week." She took a sip from her apple blood, having kindly declined anything to eat. "I still-"

"Think it's a bad idea," Luz finished for her in a mocking imitation of her voice. Noticing the woman giving her a look, she shrugged, "What?"

Lilith just shook her head, turning her attention back to her drink. "You become more like Eda every day."

"Hey! That's a good thing," Eda stood up, throwing an arm around Luz before ruffling her hair. "You'd seriously want the kid to take after you?"

"She should take after me!" King exclaimed, holding his fork with a square of pancake on it up in the air triumphantly. 

"He is probably the most reasonable person in this house," Luz said, finishing off her breakfast. 

The two sisters both looked like they wanted to argue but were rudely interrupted by-

"Where did you put my plate, hooooot!" 

Luz sunk in her chair, cursing herself. She'd forgotten about the bird. 

•••••

Walking through the streets of Bonesborough, Luz was on high alert. Even though she had her cloak on and an illusion charm taped on her chest to distort her features, she couldn't shake the feeling that people were watching her.

Eda, King, and Lilith had already left, having decided they shouldn't stay together for this. For one it would only put the group more at risk if they were all in one spot. That, and Luz had a different objective today than the others. 

The rest of her family would be spending their time enjoying Choosing Day by their own means, attending booths and games and shows. Luz, on the other hand, would be doing the same thing — with her two best friends in the world. 

Willow and Gus just didn't know it yet. 

They had mentioned today many times in their letters. Though they agreed that the system was outdated, both weren't able to hide their excitement over joining their respective covens. Luz didn't take any offense to it though. After all, she was going to support them no matter what. 

"Excuse me miss," A young man in an all white cloak tried to stop Luz in her path. "Do you have a moment to talk about our overlord and savior Emperor Belos?"

Luz cringed at the idea, speeding up as she passed him. She decided being hated by the emperors coven was infinitely better than having to make small talk with them. 

Passing by booth after booth for various covens, Luz was growing more anxious by the minute. What if she was seen? What if she didn't find Gus and Willow before they joined? What if they wouldn't be excited when they saw her?

All those doubts melted away when she saw a familiar pair off to her left, joking around near a table advertising a coven for toothpaste. Smile widening, Luz rushed over to them. 

"Willow! Gus!" She exclaimed, tackling the two into hugs. Her friends, taken by surprise, hugged back reluctantly. When Luz pulled away, she saw that the two were looking at her strangely. 

"Uh, do we...know you?" Willow laughed awkwardly. 

Luz frowned for a moment before remembering. Making sure no one else was watching, she reached for her chest, carefully peeling off her illusion charm patch and feeling the magic that had fogged her face up until that point fade away. 

"Sorry about that," Luz scratched the back of her neck. "Can never be too careful arou-"

She didn't finish her sentence as she became the one to be tackled by hugs. Falling to the ground from the sudden weight, all three of the friends laughed. 

"Oh my Titan!" Gus exclaimed. "Luz it's really you!"

Luz looked around nervously, "Maybe don't say that so loudly."

"Oh right!" Gus's eyes widened, nodding enthusiastically. He made a point to loudly shout, "Because you're not Luz! That'd be totally crazy. Definitely not a human!"

"Gus, cut it out," Willow said, though the smile on her face and the tears brimming in her eyes showed she wasn't actually that annoyed. She turned to Luz, hugging her again. "We really missed you," She said softly before pulling away. 

"I missed you guys too," Luz wiped at her own tears. It'd been so long since she'd talked to them. She'd always meant to find them sooner but life had just gotten in the way. 

Willow was a little taller now but not by much. She had indeed cut her hair, styling it much shorter than before causing it to spike out. Luz had also noticed when she hugged her how calloused her hands had become, most likely from all of her gardening work. Her glasses were still the same though, a detail of familiarity Luz appreciated. 

Gus had also grown too, only a couple inches shorter than Luz. His voice had deepened, despite the occasional crack, and he had the beginnings of a beard growing on his chin. 

"So what are you doing here?" Willow asked. The group was walking off to a corner with less populated people. 

"What?" Luz grinned. "You really think I'd miss this?" _I already missed too much_ , Luz wanted to add but she'd rather not bring down the mood. 

"Gasp!" Gus said out loud instead of actually gasping. "Are you planning to disrupt the choosing day? Are you going to have a major showdown with the coven leaders? Oh, that would be so cool!"

"What?" Luz starred at him quizzically. "No, why would I do that?"

"Well because of all of your work in the rebellion," Willow said as if it should be obvious. 

"The what now?" Luz deadpanned. She pulled her cloak a little tighter, much too wary of the people nearby. 

"The rebellion," Gus repeated. "The one you're leading against Emperor Belos?"

Luz shook her head, bringing her voice down to a whisper. "When have I even once mentioned I was doing something like that in my letters?"

"We figured you didn't want to say anything in case the letters got intercepted," Willow shrugged, "But everyone on the Boiling Isles knows about how you and the Owl Lady are forming a resistance to the Emperor. A lot of people have actually been really inspired-"

Luz groaned loudly in annoyance. What were people thinking? This must of been some propaganda ploy by the Emperors Coven, another tactic to make her public enemy number one. 

"Look guys," Luz finally said, "I hate to break it to you but I'm not planning anything like that. It's always just been me, Eda, Lilith, and King." _And Hoooooty_ , the bird's voice mocked her in her head. "I really didn't want to come here today to worry about all of that stuff. Today's about you two!"

Willow and Gus thankfully got the hint. They suggested the group get some ice-scream and find a place to sit which Luz happily agreed to. Sealing her illusion charm back on, she felt she was able to relax a little more but not completely. The girl always looked a moment away from springing out of her seat and running off. 

"That illusion spell is really impressive," Gus pointed out, staring at her face intently. "It's like I can see your face but then I totally can't at the same time."

"Lilith helped me perfect it," Luz explained. "It fogs your features so when someone looks at you they really can't distinguish anything, so their brain fills in the rest for them."

"You got to show me how to do that," Gus said. "The illusion coven would love that trick!"

"So when are you guys supposed to get your little coven seals or whatever?" Luz asked. 

"Well," Willow said in between bites of boo-berry, "We were thinking we'd wait until after the tournament."

"The tournament?" Luz asked. "What's that?"

At this, both Willow and Gus shared an unsure look.

"You know, on second thought I guess we could probably get them before," Willow said, waving the previous question away. "It's not like we really had a set schedule or anything. We wouldn't want you to have to stay out longer than you have to."

Luz hated that her mind immediately turned to distrust. What were they hiding? 

The ice-scream in Luz's hands swirled itself in her cup, letting out strange growls as it did, distracting her. Despite being told the frozen treat wasn't alive and only enchanted to move, she still found it discomforting as the ice cream attempted to drown her gummy goblins. 

"So Willow," Luz decided to change the subject, eyes still on the sinking candies. "Are you going to finally tell me who your secret admirer is?"

"If I knew, I would," Willow blushed deeply. 

"Willow's been exchanging notes with them almost every day now and she still can't figure it out," Gus teased. 

"Well do you know?" Willow retorted. 

"Uh, well no," Gus admitted. "But I'm not the one who nearly passes out every time they find a note in their locker."

"Aw!" Luz gushed. "Young love! That's so romantic!"

"It'd be better if they just told me who they were," Willow sighed wistfully. "It's driving me crazy not knowing. And now that schools almost over, I don't know how I'll keep in contact with them."

 _Schools almost over_ , Luz thought. _That's right_. She imagined for a moment what would've happened had she stayed at Hexside. The three of them there at graduation, proud to call themselves fully formed witches. 

But it wouldn't just be the three of them. 

There would be one more. 

"Last call for those participating in the tournament!" A plump little man called out, walking past the stands. He had a top hat on and was passing out flyers as he went. "Last call for all participants! Please make your way to the staging area!"

"Should we be getting to the stadium?" Gus asked. "We're going to want good seats."

Willow looked hesitantly back at Luz. "Well..."

"Guys," Luz tried again, "Seriously, what is this whole tournament thing about?" 

"You interested in the tournament missy?" The man waddled over to them. As he got closer, Luz realized the man in the hat wasn't the one talking, but actually a small demon that was sitting on his hat. The man passed her a flyer before the demon continued, "Admission is free!"

Luz took the flyer quickly, trying not to encourage the man-demon-thing to linger. "Thanks."

"You have no face! Goodbye!" The demon chirped happily before continuing on his way. "All participants, make your way to the staging area!"

Luz looked down at the flyer. At the top it read in big curvy font: **SEE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST JOIN THE EMPERORS COVEN TODAY.**

_Oh_ , it sunk in for Luz. So that's why her friends hadn't wanted to tell her about this. But it's not like she really cared about it that much. Why would she-

"What?!" Luz shouted, reading the flyer closer. 

"I knew this was a bad idea," Willow sighed. 

Luz looked back up at her friends, neither of whom met her eyes. "You guys weren't going to tell me?"

"We didn't want to make things worse between you and-"

"Worse?" Luz shrunk back, suddenly quiet again. "Nothing's worse. We're not worse. We just...haven't talked in a while."

"Luz we get it," Gus tried to reassure her. "You did what you had to. And it's not like you didn't try to reach out to her. It's not your fault she never returned your letters."

Luz kept rereading the flyer over and over. It just didn't seem real, but sure enough there the name was under the list of participants, third one down. 

"She wouldn't though," Luz muttered in disbelief. "Not after...she wouldn't."

"I'm sorry Luz," Willow put a hand at the top of the flyer, bringing it slowly away from Luz's face to get the girl to look at her. "If it makes you feel any better, I doubt she actually wants to join. Even when we were kids, her parents always told her that was her goal in life. They've been grooming her from the day she could first say the word 'Belos.'"

"No," Luz said again. "She can't. I-I have to convince her not to."

"How are you supposed to do that?" Gus asked. 

Luz looked around the area before stuffing the flyer in her pocket. 

"Where's the staging area?"

•••••

Gus and Willow wished Luz luck as she snuck away to the tents outside the stadium. They agreed that they'd meet back up sometime before the tournament started, though Luz could tell the two doubted she'd keep that promise one way or another. 

Still, this was more important. 

As far as Luz could tell, each tent was for a selected participant with twelve tents in total. She had to dodge a few guards as she snuck looks at each tent's nameplate but was overall unnoticed. 

Finally at the end of the first rows she saw it. A glistening gold name plate with beautiful lettering scrawled across it. Taking a deep breath, Luz opened the tent flap and stepped inside. 

Empty. Aside from a small desk, a stool, and a couch, the tent was empty. 

"Am I too late?" Luz asked aloud. Behind her near the tent's entrance she heard a loud thud and turned around. 

On the ground was a bag that had been dropped, the source of the loud noise. And standing in the entrance was-

"Luz?" Amity asked immediately, staring at her in disbelief. 

"You...you recognize me?" Luz asked, glancing down at her illusion charm before taking it off her chest. 

Amity blinked a few times as Luz's face became clearer, her breathing speeding up. She walked up in front of Luz who stood frozen, unsure of how to react as Amity brought her hand up to Luz's hair, sliding off the cloak hood so it fell at her shoulders. 

Amity backed up a step, looked at Luz again before fixing her expression in a tight glare. "You idiot," She hissed, pushing Luz away roughly. 

"Woah I-" Luz stumbled back, about to defend herself when Amity suddenly pulled her in for a tight hug. 

"You idiot..." She said again, softer this time, holding Luz with no sign of letting go. 

Luz relaxed into the hug, holding the girl back. She noticed how Amity's head only came to to top of her chest and she could easily rest her own head on her's. She also could smell Amity's perfume — the same one she'd use when they were fourteen. Luz didn't realize how much she'd missed that smell. 

"I'm sorry Amity," Luz said, the shock wearing off and her emotions catching up to her. "I'm so sorry."

Amity pulled away slightly, frowning as Luz held back her tears, her ears lowering in concern. 

"Is everything alright?" Amity asked. "Why are you here?" She looked like she wanted to ask, _and why weren't you there all the other times?_

"Today's important," Luz said weakly. "And I wanted to see...everyone."

Amity still looked confused before it dawned on her. "You already saw Willow and Gus then?"

Luz nodded. Amity looked deep in thought and Luz knew she must've had a number of questions. 

"Where have you been?" Amity started with. 

"The others didn't tell you?" Luz asked, a little shocked. At that Amity looked down ashamedly. "I know you guys haven't been around each other much but you still do talk, don't you?"

"It's a long story," Amity dismissed the question. "But you still haven't answered me. Where have you been? The only reason I've even known you're alive is because the emperors coven is constantly pushing for your capture."

"I've...well..." Luz tried to think of how to sum it all up before shooting Amity a smug look. "It's a long story."

Amity frowned at her, clearly not satisfied with the answer but not daring to push. Luz took this moment to take in her appearance better. Her hair had grown longer, falling past her shoulders though she still kept the top part bunched together. Her hair was the same light green it had always been and Luz was happy to see her brown roots still showing through. She looked so much like Amity. _Her Amity._

An image flashed across Luz's mind, of this Amity but in the uniform of the Emperor's coven. False memories of Luz waking up to running from a coven led by someone she'd once considered her closest friend. Green hair. Brown roots. Purple fire. Shouting. Running. 

"You can't do this."

"What?" 

"You can't join the emperors coven," Luz said, almost begged, a fragility creeping into her voice. 

Amity took a few steps back. "I-Is that why you actually came here?"

"It's not just that-"

"No," Amity shook her head, "No. You don't get to do this. You can't just show up and do this to me."

"You know what the emperors coven is capable of," Luz argued. "You've seen what they do to innocent people."

"It's complicated-"

"Complicated?" Luz couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What exactly is so complicated? You either join the evil dictator or you don't. It sounds pretty simple to me."

"Don't pretend like you know anything that's going on in my life," Amity pointed in accusation at her. "You haven't been around."

"Do I need to remind you who's fault that is?" Luz grew more frustrated. 

"You're still the one who chose to leave," Amity retaliated. "You left. Not me."

"I didn't have a choice," Luz's voice cracked. 

"You know what Luz?" Amity laughed bitterly. "You can keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better but people _always_ have a choice."

"Fine," Luz softened, the anger fading away as the guilt replaced it. "But that just means you have a choice now. I-I don't know if your parents are making you do this or if you feel like you have to but-"

"Stop," Amity said, her voice wavering, and Luz did. 

The two studied the other for a long time. Both stood in silence, both aware they were after the same thing but both too afraid to want it. 

"Three years," Amity whispered. "Three years ago you told me that you'd never ask me to leave everything behind for you. Well? Are you asking?"

Luz could hear her own heartbeat thumping in her ears. 

"No. I'm not."

Amity turned away and Luz desperately hoped she'd turn around. That couldn't be the last time she'd see Amity's face. Not for another three years. Not for three after that. What if she never saw her again and that pain she'd caused was the last image Luz would have of her. 

An announcement rang throughout the tent yard. "Five minute warning! The first fight will begin in five minutes!"

"I have to go," Amity said but Luz couldn't hear any emotion in her voice, couldn't figure out what she must be thinking. "You should go too."

"Amity-"

"Please."

Luz closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. Careful not to bump into Amity as she passed, she didn't have it in her to look back as she left the tent and made her way to the front of the stadium. 

Gus and Willow were waiting by the entrance and both perked up once Luz came into view. 

"You made it!" Gus said, oblivious to Luz's downcast mood. "Come on, there's still some good seats in the front."

"I think I'll stick to the back," Luz said quietly, following the two inside. They found a spot at the top of the bleachers that wasn't too crowded and sat there. 

"Stay right here," Gus said. "I'll go get us some more snacks." He soon disappeared in the crowd again. Willow took this opportunity to check in on Luz. 

"You didn't get through to her?" Willow whispered to her. 

Luz shook her head no. "I tried but she was right. It wasn't my place."

Willow nodded, "I figured that would happen." With a long pause she added, "You know, when you first came around it was the first time I really saw Amity's walls go down, even if it was only a little. But when you left..."

"They went right back up," Luz confirmed. "Has she really not talked to you at all?"

"Here and there," Willow admitted. "After that night at the conformitorium, her parents weren't too happy to see Gus and I starting a protest. I'm pretty sure they told Amity she wasn't allowed to see us anymore. Again." Seeing Luz's downcast expression, Willow quickly added, "She wasn't mean to us or anything. She didn't let others bully us anymore but it never really went beyond that."

"But did she _talk_ to you?" Luz asked again, trying to get at something. 

"Is there something you wanted her to talk about?" Willow was starting to understand where Luz might be headed. "Or...someone?"

Luz's face heated up at that but luckily Gus was coming back into view right about then. He passed out some snacks and they chatted idly before the tournament began. 

The lights shut off without warning, making Luz jump. A spotlight hit the center stage, revealing a woman Luz knew all too well, making her skin crawl. 

"Didn't realize she'd be here," Luz mumbled, making sure her cloak was pulled over her head enough. 

The woman in the center of the room was Lanny Simmons, a cruel witch and head of the coven. She'd had more than enough run ins with that woman to last a lifetime. Eda and Lilith also were not big fans, especially the latter who found it insulting to be replaced by someone so below her standards. That didn't make her any less wicked though. 

"Welcome," Simmons smiled sweetly, "To the annual choosing day. We have the pleasure of presenting twelve bright young witches who wish to join the high and mighty emperor's coven today."

There was a round of applause around the room. Luz didn't join in. 

"Today, these twelve witches will duel each other to prove their worth to the Emperor," Simmons elaborated. "Let this be my sole reminder: only one will join our esteemed ranks."

"Yeah you all were real esteemed last week when you were chasing my tail through the mud on a perfectly good Wednesday afternoon," Luz grumbled. 

"Wait you have a tail?" Gus whipped out a notebook and wrote something down. "Fascinating."

Before Luz could correct him, another group of spotlights shone onto the ring revealing the twelve contestants. Sure enough Amity was there, standing tall, proud, unwavering. 

_You should be happy for her_ , Luz told herself. _Just be happy for her._

It was an impossible thing to ask though. 

As far as Luz could tell the tournament went like this: the first six fights were one versus one. They'd be matched randomly and fight until the other one conceded or couldn't fight any more. Then, the six winners of those fights would be put into two groups. One victor would come out of each so that the final two would go head to head. 

As much as Luz wanted to believe Amity wouldn't make it to the final rounds, she didn't have any doubts that Amity was the most skilled witch down there. 

Luz effectively zoned out for most of the fighting. At times she'd be watching Amity, other times she'd be trying to do the exact opposite. Despite the fact her friends were enjoying the show, she hated seeing their concerned glances out the corner of her eyes every few minutes. 

Before she knew it, it was down to the final two: Amity, against some witch who specialized in oracle magic. 

The bell shrieked for them to begin. Amity was tired but Luz could see her straighten up with newfound determination. The girl summoned an abomination larger than Luz had ever seen her attempt (without a strength glyph that is) and sent it stampeding towards her competitor. 

The other girl summoned an oracle — no, three of them — which rushed past the abomination towards Amity. As the girl fought the abomination using mostly elemental magic, the oracles worked on Amity. 

Luz wasn't surprised to see that Amity was handling her own. She'd always been an amazing witch and she'd only gotten better since they last saw each other. _Guess she doesn't need the training wand anymore._

Amity had destroyed two of the oracles, the other girl close to done with the abomination as well. It was a race to be freed first, to deliver a final blow. Luz didn't approve, but a part of her was still rooting for Amity. 

Then, something unexpected. 

The last oracle had been dodging balls of purple fire, not having been allowed to get close but it managed to somehow slip right into Amity's space. It placed a single hand on her forehead and she froze. Leaning down, it said something no one else could hear before dissipating. 

Luz couldn't see Amity's exact facial expression but she saw the way Amity's breathing had become much more ragged, far more than from the exhaustion of the fight. 

Amity's head turned. She locked eyes with Luz. 

It had to be a coincidence. There was no way she could've known exactly where she was sitting, not without even having to search, but even from the top row of the stadium, Luz could see those golden eyes boring into hers. 

She looked scared.

A loud boom resounded through the stadium and Amity jumped back into the fight. The girl had gotten swatted by the abomination, slamming into the arena wall. Still, she stumbled to her feet ready for more. Amity, now free of distractions (or so it seemed), summoned two smaller abominations before setting her hands ablaze. 

Her movements were sloppier than before. It didn't appear that way as she pulverized her opponent but Luz knew better. Her spells weren't as confident as before. She wasn't trusting herself. 

She kept looking back up at Luz. 

Willow must of noticed because she shot Luz a confused look the third time it happened. Luz didn't have an answer for her though. All she knew was that whatever the oracle had done, it had spooked her enough to throw her off her game. 

Unfortunately for her opponent, even off her game Amity was a force to be reckoned with. 

Seeing Amity standing over the other girl, ready to deliver the final blow to end the fight, Luz realized she couldn't do this. She couldn't watch another second. She was about to mumble some stupid excuse to leave but as she opened her mouth an even worse feeling washed over her. 

In the time Luz had been watching the fight, she had been so transfixed by Amity that she'd failed to notice the guards slowly creeping into their section of the bleachers. Two behind, one to her left, one to her right, three waiting in front of her — all far enough away to not raise suspicion to a normal bystander. 

Unfortunately for her, Luz didn't have the luxury of obliviousness. 

But how had they found her? Luz flung a hand to her chest and cursed. After her talk in the tent, she'd never reapplied the illusion.

"Guys," Luz said quietly, not taking her eyes off the dirty arena floor, lest her pursuers suspect anything. "I'm going to need to ask a favor from you both."

"What is it?" Gus asked. Willow looked at her as well. 

"It's been really great seeing you guys," Luz said calmly. "But I need to leave now. Don't look around," Luz corrected them as their eyes started to instinctively search for what was wrong. "Just keep looking at me."

The two nodded, realizing how serious she was. 

"What do you want us to do?" Willow said, looking like she was already prepped for a fight. 

"I need you both to get up and walk away. If you can get out of the stadium, that's good. If not, then you both need to promise me you won't intervene."

"Intervene..." Willow trailed off. "What are you going to do?"

"It's not about what I'm going to do," Luz saw a guard inching closer out of her peripherals. "It's about what they'll do."

"We can help," Gus insisted. 

Luz shook her head. "I'll write you both once I'm safe."

"But you're never safe," Willow whispered, the hurt in her voice hitting Luz hard. 

Luz wanted nothing more than to pull them into one last hug again, to promise it wouldn't be another three years and that she'd never miss another milestone. With a sinking feeling in her heart, she realized she would never see them join their covens after all. 

"I love you guys," Luz said, and she meant it. "It'll be ok," And she didn't mean that. 

The two reluctantly stood, both looking back every few steps until they were out of Luz's view entirely. She was alone now. 

Guards inched closer. Hands subtly reached for staffs. Luz felt for the paper in her pocket, brushing the tips of them with her thumb. Closer. Closer. 

"And the newest member to join the Emperor's Coven is-"

Smoke. 

Shouting. 

Running. 

Smoke had filled Luz's half of the stadium, clouding everyone inside it. Her eyes burned from the grey haze but it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. This was right out of the Coven's playbook. They had to capture her but they didn't want anyone to see them do it. Fortunately for them, Luz had no interest in going down a martyr either. 

She stumbled over bleacher seats, pushing past people, unsure if they were pursuers or not. Finding a safe place underneath a seat, she pulled out a pre-prepared glyph: air. 

The smoke swirled away from her as she cleared a path for herself. Though she could now orient herself to an exit, she'd also exposed her exact location. 

Shouting. 

Luz ducked as a lob of ice went sailing past her head, jumped as an abomination appearing next to her tried to pull her into its grasp. A vine spell shot at her, whipping against her cheek and leaving a deep gash. Ignoring the pain, she aimed her wind spell at each guard who came close, sending them flying away from her. 

Running. 

As Luz barreled down the stands she could hear people all around her. _Is that the human girl? She's the one who defied the emperor. The revolution._

Luz ignored them. She had to. The only thing she could focus on was running. 

_Those guards are going after her. Serves her right. Traitor. We should help her! The revolution!_

As Luz neared the end of her path to the exit, she witnessed the most bizarre thing. People, most of whom she'd never even met before, were fighting off the guards for her. The sight was so strange in fact that Luz stopped in her tracks as the arena began fighting itself. 

"Don't just stand there!" A familiar voice shouted and Luz turned to see Willow launching a plant vault right into a group of guards, knocking them over like bowling pins. 

"We got this!" Gus said, appearing not too far away and shooting her a reassuring look before sending duplicates of himself into the stand. 

Luz smiled to herself, heart warmed to see so many people protecting her. And for what? A revolution she didn't even know she was the face of?

She could think on all of that later. Right now, she only needed to focus on the preferable outcome of not dying. 

Luz rushed past the exit doors, sprinting down the pathway once she saw she was clear. Eda, King, and Lilith were probably waiting for her on the outskirts of town. She'd reach them and then they could go home and-

Luz ran face first into an abomination that sprang up from the ground in front of her. Falling to the ground, the wind knocked completely out of her, she struggled to look at who had stopped her. 

Amity had never before looked so frightening. She had cuts and bruises fresh from her recent hard-won battles but that wasn't what made Luz cringe. It wasn't the abomination standing at her side, eagerly awaiting orders. It wasn't even the purple fire blazing in her hand. 

It was the way she looked down at Luz. There was no malice. No hatred. Only the pained look of someone who was fighting down all their emotions in favor of feeling none, because she had to if she were to do her job. 

What scared Luz the most was that Amity had the capacity to care about her so much and take her down anyways.

As the air returned to Luz's lungs, she struggled to find a glyph, any glyph, but they had all scattered around her when she'd fallen, ruined by the abomination's slime. She was essentially helpless, mind too scrambled to get her out of this one. Blood dripped down her cheek, off her chin and onto the pavement. 

"Wh-what are you waiting for?" Luz rasped out, each word burning in her chest. 

Amity didn't say anything. Luz would've believed she hadn't heard her if it weren't for the girl's slight twitch of the ears. 

"Do it," Luz shouted. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain in her body was catching up to her. Sitting on her knees, she looked up at Amity weakly. "I-I'm done running. Just...just do it."

Amity faltered, the fire in her hand dying out as she met Luz's weary eyes. 

"I'm tired Amity," She croaked. "Please. I don't want to run anymore."

Amity looked at her and then something behind her in the distance. "You have to though. Don't you?" With a wave of her hand, her abomination melted away. "You don't have a choice." She walked past Luz, right by her as if that was good enough. 

"My letters," Luz whispered. 

"What?"

Luz turned around to see Amity staring back at her, caught off guard. 

"My letters," Luz repeated. She could see the confusion in Amity's eyes. 

"I don't know what you're-"

"One letter a week," Each word was a fiery breath spent but Luz had to get answers. "I sent you one letter a week, f-for almost a year." Amity cringed as Luz's voice fell to nearly nothing at her last question, "Did you even read them?"

There was commotion behind Amity. Some guards had escaped the mayhem of the stadium and they were getting ready to search the area. The two didn't have much time before they'd notice them. 

Amity looked behind her, Luz knew Amity would have to distract them if there was any hope of her getting away. Selfishly, she didn't want her to leave. She felt like she was fourteen again, telling Amity she had to leave but this time she was the one sitting in the bed, leg broken and begging the girl she loved not to fly away into the darkness. 

"Goodbye Luz."

Luz watched as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving her alone on the pavement. 

"Goodbye...Amity."


End file.
